RP 100 pts! 2016 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri wine, Italy

Description

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Ratings:
100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Sassicaia is a wine of soaring achievement. I tasted this wine several times during the course of its creation in both barrel and bottle, and the highly deserved 100-point score you see here was enthusiastically assigned at the conclusion of a mini vertical in which I tasted and compared the 2016 vintage against 2015 (which I scored 97 points). It makes perfect sense to present these two excellent vintages in back-to-back comparison fashion because they are two of the best to emerge from Bolgheri, and indeed Tenuta San Guido, in recent memory. These are very similar vintages with long, hot summer months that fueled a long growing season. There was a bit more rain in 2016, and in analytical terms this vintage has a tad more acidity. That acidity will carry it long into the future as the wine completes its slow evolutionary course. This wine is chiseled and sharp with blackberry, ripe cherry, grilled herb and barbecue spice. The aromas flow from the glass in a continuous stream and are all marked by radiant intensity. The mouthfeel is long and powerful. The crisp linearity of the wine's tannic backbone is perfectly measured to the volume and depth of the fruit flavors. To my mind, the 2016 Sassicaia stands tall next to the epic 1985 vintage that set the ultimate benchmark for vino italiano. Drink 2021-2050. (ML) (1/2019)
98 points Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of cedar, tobacco, blue flower and spiced plum fuse together in this elegantly structured, stunning red. One of Italy's most iconic wines, the smooth, compelling palate delivers flavors of black cherry, cassis, licorice and a hint of wild herb. Taut, polished tannins provide seamless support while fresh acidity lends impeccable balance. A savory saline note lingers on the finish. (KO) (5/2019)
97-98 points James Suckling
The aromas are full of blue fruits and an underlying minerality. Hot stones and some rust to boot. Full-bodied yet refined and structured with compacted and tight tannins and an ultra-long finish. Savory and minerally at the end. Seamless texture. Great composure. (9/2017)
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
S
tored in a climate controlled cellar on its side in the dark at 55
de
grees F a
nd 75% humidity since purchase.
Condition:
Perfect.
Alcohol Sales Disclaimer:
Cultwines is participating in a closed category of wine sales on eBay. As a participant in this category, Cultwines had to be pre-approved by eBay prior to listing wine on the website. For more information about wine sales on eBay, please click
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Shipping Restrictions:
We can ship to ALL states EXCEPT the following:
ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, DELAWARE, KENTUCKY, MICHIGAN, MISSISSIPPI, ILLINOIS, OKLAHOMA, PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH DAKOTA AND UTAH. Wine shipping laws are tricky and vary from state to state. Some states require us to ship through a fulfillment center. For these particular states, packages are only sent out on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you need overnight shipping or 2 day shipping on a wine package, and are planning on ordering on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, please contact us to discuss options.
We collect 7% sales tax in the state of Florida
Returns, Cancellation & Refunds:
We offer a 30 day return policy with our wines. In order to receive a full refund, wines must be sent back to us in the exact same condition in which they were sent out. No exceptions. We do not offer refunds on bottles which have been opened or tampered with in any way. As of October 11, 2019, Paypal DOES NOT refund sellers for their fees, which typically total 2.95%. This fee can be higher with foreign currency conversions. Please note that if you cancel an order or request a return, you will receive your refund in full MINUS the cost of the original PayPal fees and original shipping costs. We are not trying to penalize anyone but we cannot absorb these costs. If we have the item listed as "Free Shipping" then a flat .00 fee will be removed to cover original shipping costs from your refund. Cancellations will only be accepted if the wine has not yet shipped. If wine has shipped, the buyer must wait until they receive the wine then follow normal return protocols.
Age Requirements:
The purchase of alcohol by persons under the age of 21 is prohibited by law. You must be at least 21 years old to purchase and receive wine. By purchasing wine listed by Cultwines on eBay, or otherwise placing an order with Cult Wines International, you are representing yourself to be at least 21 years of age. Cult Wines International reserves the right to verify proof of age before shipping. Someone over the age of 21 must be available to sign for the package upon delivery. Wine cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
Holds on Wine Shipment during Summer Months:
Your wine will ship after payment has been made. However, we will hold shipment of your order when requested, and keep your wine stored in our cellars until the weather is more suitable for wine shipment. To hold your order, please tell us in the "Comment" section of the order during checkout. Please also include the date which you would like us to ship. We will not hold your wine longer than 5 months.
Combined Shipping Policy:
We will combine your shipping for multiple bottles upon request. Please contact us for a quote.
Disclaimer:
Regardless of the date or temperature during shipping: Wine spoilage in transit is NOT covered. Expedited/overnight shipping or shipping insurance DOES NOT change this policy. When purchasing shipping insurance, remember that shipments are only covered for theft, breakage during shipping or complete loss of the package. If you have purchased wine but are worried about heat spoilage or freezing temperatures, simply let us put the order on hold, and we will ship when you want. Cult Wines International also cannot guarantee the quality of the wine in the bottles. We are not wine makers. If you do not like the wine in the bottle, please take it up with the vineyard. We do our best by storing the wine in optimum conditions and  accurately describing the condition of the bottles, but obviously this is as far as we can go when it comes to quality assurance.
Regarding Vintage Wines:
Cult Wines International cannot guarantee the condition of the cork or quality of the wine inside the bottles. Many of the vintage wines we purchase come from private collectors, hotels, restaurants and estate sales. We examine our wines carefully before purchase and never attempt to purchase wine with poor provenance. Wines which we feel have provenance issues will be discounted greatly and will be detailed in the description. We do our best by storing the wine in optimum conditions and accurately describing the condition of the bottles, but obviously this is as far as we can go when it comes to quality assurance. Wine is alive inside the bottle and changes over time. Cult Wines International cannot guarantee when the peak drinking window of a wine is. Older wines may be past their peak when you open them. Older vintage corks can shrink, and degrade. The cork may break or crumble when you remove it. This is normal for older wines. There is always a risk with older wines. It's as simple as that. You may open one up and have one of the greatest experiences of your life. You may open a similar bottle and find it's past its prime or oxidized. That is the inherent risk assumed by the buyer in the vintage wine world.
Some buyers do not know how to drink older wines, and in turn end up having a bad experience for no reason other than lack of knowledge. If you purchase a bottle 20 year old or older, please check out these 7 tips for enjoyment:
1. Keep in mind that the lower the fill level is of the wine inside the bottle, the greater chance the wine has oxidized. This is not a rule but rather a calculated risk. A wine at base neck or greater has basically no risk of oxidization. A wine right at halfway mid-shoulder has a 35-40% chance of being oxidized. Below that, the risk keeps increasing further. Keep this in mind when purchasing.
2. Older wines have natural sediment in them that accumulates with age. These are tannins which precipitate out of the wine over time. The color of the wine will slowly fade from purple to brick red or even orange as the tannins accumulate and lump together to form the sediment. This sediment can be bitter when consumed but is harmless to health. However, for the best drinking experience, it is a good idea to drink sediment-free wine. Allow all vintage wines to stand upright for several days and even sometimes a few weeks if the wine has very fine sediments (as in older Burgundy or Champagne). Once the wine is clear you can proceed to uncork and decant the wine.
Keep in mind the final drinking place of the wine and keep the wine there until it settles
. If you bring an old wine with you to a friend's house or a restaurant with plans of drinking it that evening, you will disturb the sediments and make the wine impossible to properly decant.
3. Do not use a standard corkscrew as older wines have corks which will easily break during extraction. Purchase an ah-so or better yet a Durand. We have pulled out corks whole from 1945 bottles with a Durand.
4. Properly decant the wine. Purchase a decanter if you don't have one. We won't go into too much detail about decanting. There are many great videos on YouTube which will show you how to properly decant vintage wine. However the idea of decanting is to gradually pour the wine into a different container while leaving (and without disturbing) the sediment in the original bottle. A small amount of wine will be left in the original bottle which is full of sediment and is typically discarded. The decanter can now be swirled, handed around and poured without risk of sediment issues.
5. Allow the wine to breathe. Older wines require less breathing time than younger wines, but still typically need about 25-30 minutes for best aromas and flavor. These wines have been cooped up in an enclosed container for many years and often can have a musty smell upon freshly opening. This will usually go away upon breathing.
6. Do not expect old wines to taste like better versions of young wines. Older wines often taste completely different to their younger counterparts. They lose their fruity qualities and their secondary complexities increase. More earthy notes and minerality is to be expected.  Most often the bouquet of wine improves over time, imparting a smooth, rich flavor without the bitterness of a younger wine. However its intensity decreases and the wine feels lighter and thinner in the mouth. To many people these qualities are highly desirable, however there are many people who prefer younger wines also. So simply don't assume you'll enjoy an old wine more than a younger one.
7. Not all wines get better with age. Bold, higher-end red wines, complex whites and dessert wines are the ones to benefit most greatly from age. Varietals which typically get better with age are as follows:
Riesling
:
A good Riesling can improve, growing rounder in flavor, virtually forever.
Cabernet Sauvignon:
Bordeaux, California, and many other places produce Cabs with the bold richness needed to age well. However not all Cabs will develop delicious secondary and tertiary flavors. This is dependent on the structure, tannins, and richness of fruit needed to hold up to years of aging. Typically the higher-end Cabs are designed this way. Budget Cabs aren't typically suitable for aging over 15-20 years.
Chardonnay:
This depends on acidity greatly. A rich, buttery Chardonnay won't have the structure necessary to age well and will fall apart within 5-7 years. Higher acidity Chardonnays with rich mineral tastes can very well improve with aging. Namely higher-end French White Burgundies.
Sauternes:
Some of the longest lived non-fortified wines in the world. The combination of sugar and alcohol give these wines an almost immortal lifespan and the complexities they can develop are endless.
Fortified wine:
Similar to Sauternes but even higher in alcohol and an extremely low chance of oxidization. Port, Madeira and the like age wonderfully because their high quantities of sugar and alcohol act to slow down the aging process, meaning that they can open well after even hundreds of years. Typically you can open the bottle, pour a glass and go back to the bottle months later to have another sip with the wine being completely unharmed.
Pinot Noir
:  This is greatly variable depending on the level of Pinot. Budget Pinot tastes great and there's no need to hang onto it longer than 5-7 years. However many experts hold that a well-aged Pinot is the holy grail of the wine world. High end French Burgundies like Romanee Conti are considered a travesty if opened too young as their flavors can evolve unlike anything else in the wine world.
Syrah:
Most Syrahs age well, but only up to a limit–about 15 years.
Merlot:
Merlot is a very forgiving wine when it comes to age. Many bottles can taste great young, however they can still benefit from some time in the cellar. Higher end Merlot like Petrus is well known for aging gracefully and beautifully.
Zinfandel:
Like Cabernet Sauvignon, many Zinfandels have the potential to age to greatness.
Old Italian wines
: Some varietals like Chiati do not benefit much from aging. Barolo is one of the world's greatest age-worthy wines. Brunello and Super-Tuscans are also excellent wines for aging. Italian wines from the 50s and 60s age well because they were made by farmers with primitive equipment. Their wines ended up very high in tannins, making them perfect aging candidates.